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COVID-19 long-hauler joins vaccination efforts after near-death experience
Marvis Herring
COVID-19 long-hauler joins vaccination efforts after near-death experience
HER STORY OF SURVIVAL AND HOPE NYMA OF YOU MAY THINK THAT THE BATTLE AGAINST COVID-19 IS OVER DAN THAT THERE’S NO NEED FOR A VACCINE BUT ONE COV-1ID9 SURVIVORS STILL DEALING WITH COMPLICATIONS WANTSOU Y TO HEAR THIS COVID-19 FOREST JANET RIGHT INTO EARLY. RETIREMENT BUT NOW YOU’LLIN FD THE FORMER PHARMACIST PREPPING SHOTS OF HOPE BEFEOR THEIR ADMINISTEDER AT THE BAPTIST HEALTH VACCINE CLINIC IN LA GR ANGE. SHE WORKS THERENE O DAY A WEEK AND THAT’S ABOUT ALL I CAN DO PHYSICALLY. EEST RIGHT IS A SELF-PROCLAIMED CHAMONPI FOR COVID-19 VACCINATIONS BACK IN DECEMBER WRITES SON FOUNDER H UNRESPONSIVE ON THE FLOOR INSIDE HER HOME THREE DAYS ON A VENTILATOR TURNED INTO THREE WEEKS IN THE HOSPITAL AND NOW SIX MONTHS LATER HER COVID-19 RELATED COMPLICATIONS REMAIN TIGHNINGTE NARROWING OF THE ESOPHAGUS. AND HAVE HAD TO HAVE FIVE. SURGICAL DILATIONS FOR THAT AND IT’S NOT OVER YET. BUT I WAS UNABLE TO EAT DID SHE WASN’T FINISHED FIGHTING SHE WANTED TO FIGHT FOR OTHER PEOPLE THE BAPTIST HEALTH LA GRANGE PHARMACY DIRECTOR SAYS WRITES HUNGER TO HELP AT THE CLINIC IS INSPIRING. SHE WORKS TO PUT PEOPLE AT EASE ABOUT GETTING THE VACCINE RIGHT TOLD ME SHE HAS NO OTHER CHOICE. YOU HAVE A PURPOSE. AND THE PURPOSE IS TO PREVENT OTHERS FROM GNGOI THROUGH THE SAME EXPERIENCE AND TO JUST BEAT COVID. YOU KNOW, THAT’S THAT’S SOMETHING THAT THAT CAN BEON
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COVID-19 long-hauler joins vaccination efforts after near-death experience
Marvis Herring
A COVID-19 survivor in Kentucky says the crippling effects of COVID-19 motivated her to help more people understand the importance of vaccines.Six months after a near-death battle with the novel coronavirus, Janet Wright still struggles with lingering effects.The virus forced the former pharmacist into early retirement last year, but she’s regained some strength and she’s using it to spread her story.Wright works at the Baptist Health vaccine clinic in LaGrange, prepping vaccine shots once per week.“Anybody that says that this condition is not real, I'd like to speak with them because it came home to me and I was completely independent working 40-plus hours a week and then forced to retire and work one day a week and that's about all I can do physically,” she told sister station WLKY on Wednesday.In December, Wright's son found her unresponsive on the floor inside her home.She spent three weeks in the hospital recovering, including days on a ventilator.Six months have passed and she says she’s dealing with a range of symptoms and they are not the respiratory symptoms some other patients reported. On top of attending physical therapy two to three times per week, a major complication has been esophageal strictures.“Tightening and narrowing of the esophagus,” explained Wright, “and have had to have five surgical dilations for that, and it's not over yet — but I was unable to eat.”“Before COVID, I was a diabetic. That was very well-controlled on oral medications. After COVID, I was insulin-dependent and that continues today,” she added. Despite continued complications, Wright wants to be a part of the coronavirus solution. Angela Sandlin, the pharmacy director at Baptist Health LaGrange, called Wright’s hunger to help “inspiring.”“She wasn't finished fighting. She wanted to fight for other people,” said Sandlin.Wright said that working at the clinic gives her life new purpose. “You have a purpose and the purpose is to prevent others from going through the same experience and to just beat COVID. That's something that can be done,” said Wright.

A COVID-19 survivor in Kentucky says the crippling effects of COVID-19 motivated her to help more people understand the importance of vaccines.

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Six months after a near-death battle with the novel coronavirus, Janet Wright still struggles with lingering effects.

The virus forced the former pharmacist into early retirement last year, but she’s regained some strength and she’s using it to spread her story.

Wright works at the Baptist Health vaccine clinic in LaGrange, prepping vaccine shots once per week.

“Anybody that says that this condition is not real, I'd like to speak with them because it came home to me and I was completely independent working 40-plus hours a week and then forced to retire and work one day a week and that's about all I can do physically,” she told sister station WLKY on Wednesday.

In December, Wright's son found her unresponsive on the floor inside her home.

She spent three weeks in the hospital recovering, including days on a ventilator.

Six months have passed and she says she’s dealing with a range of symptoms and they are not the respiratory symptoms some other patients reported.

On top of attending physical therapy two to three times per week, a major complication has been esophageal strictures.

“Tightening and narrowing of the esophagus,” explained Wright, “and have had to have five surgical dilations for that, and it's not over yet — but I was unable to eat.”

“Before COVID, I was a diabetic. That was very well-controlled on oral medications. After COVID, I was insulin-dependent and that continues today,” she added.

Despite continued complications, Wright wants to be a part of the coronavirus solution. Angela Sandlin, the pharmacy director at Baptist Health LaGrange, called Wright’s hunger to help “inspiring.”

“She wasn't finished fighting. She wanted to fight for other people,” said Sandlin.

Wright said that working at the clinic gives her life new purpose.

“You have a purpose and the purpose is to prevent others from going through the same experience and to just beat COVID. That's something that can be done,” said Wright.